Shadows of Our Past: Part Two
by Eria
Summary: Sequel to Shadows of Our Past: Part One . Rebirth!fic. Co-authored with EggDropSoup. Fifteen years later, Suzuki and Kurosawa are reunited again at the wedding of Terumi and Saeko. Is it fate at work or is there a different reason for their meeting? Only time will tell if their past lives can influence their current ones...
1. A Destined Reunion?

_**Authoresses' notes**:__ Hello! This was co-authored with **EggDropSoup**. Eria can't be completely blamed for the awesomeness that is this story. Yes, there will be romance, but of course as all stories go there's some conflict that keeps the two main characters apart.  
_

_Thank you for your patience and understanding while we write. We have very busy schedules apart from fanfic-writing and other stories we work on. We appreciate your readership!_

**Warning: **If you have not read **Shadows of Our Past: Part One,** you may be confused about who the original YnM characters reincarnated into and why their ages are so variable. We highly recommend you read the Part One first.

* * *

Tugging at the uncomfortable tie around his neck, Suzuki stood in the back of the room and watched the wedding between his two friends commence. It was kind of stupid that the reason that Terumi finally proposed was because his old man was _old_, but then Suzuki couldn't quite empathize. His parents were only in their late forties.

Once the Shinto ceremony was topped off by a short Christian addition, they strolled down the aisle arm in arm, matching bands on their left ring fingers. Still holding her bouquet of pastel-colored roses, Saeko looked absolutely vibrant in her very white, Western wedding dress as Terumi sported a very serious black yutaka, his arm jutting out to hold hers. Suzuki thought they both looked stunning together.

They passed out of the large room, and Saeko turned around and tossed the bouquet up. Her many female relatives grabbed for it, but only one was able to catch it, who let out a delighted giggle waving it excitedly in the air. The newlywed wife slipped her arm into her husband's again and they headed into the reception hall. Attendants dutifully kept her trainer from dragging on the ground.

The place was packed, and there were more people wanting to greet and meet the newlywed couple than space would allow. Suzuki opted to wait until their close family had said their congratulations. Besides, he saw that Saeko was already on her way to her dressing rooms to switch into a colorful kimono as tradition dictated.

But what Suzuki was more excited about was meeting his very first teacher again after so long. Strolling over to the table he expected to share with him among other guests, he saw the slouched back of Kurosawa rubbing his neck as if it ached. From behind, his hair was lighter, grayed with age. Swallowing down the sudden nervousness he felt, Suzuki warmly greeted him, "Hey, Sensei."

Hazel-green eyes turned to see who it was, revealing a face that had broadened out and barely wrinkled between the brows and along the laugh-lines of his jaw. His eyes slipped past him, and Suzuki wondered if he had offended him somehow. "Ah, hello, Suzuki-san." The light crow's feet at the corners of his eyes crinkled in a genuine smile, though it was obvious he looked exhausted.

"Ah, you recognize me, Sensei?" Suzuki asked incredulously as a caterer placed pre-determined drinks at their table.

"I could say the same. It's been fifteen years..." He paused still not quite looking at him. Suzuki missed seeing those eyes he remembered piercing through him. "Also, I no longer teach, so you may call me Kurosawa."

"Oh?" Suzuki tilted his head slightly. "That's surprising, Sensei. You're not even that old yet."

"Mm, I retired early." There was a flicker of momentary irritation, before his face went neutral. "Did you graduate from that school already?"

"Just this past May, in fact." Suzuki grinned in obvious pride. "My Masters kicked me out halfway through the semester, saying there was nothing more that they could teach me."

Kurosawa nodded congenially, taking a long sip from his dark tea.

"It's too bad you aren't teaching anymore. I had the most fun in preschool."

Shifting as if he was uncomfortable, Kurosawa stared at the teacup in his hand, looking beaten. "That was quite some time ago."

Suzuki took a long drag off his own beverage, while he thought of what to say to keep the conversation going. "I saw you in the news. You were lucky you were away from your home when it caught fire."

"Yeah." Kurosawa continued staring at the tea.

"I also think it's great that you pressed charges against those thugs. Most people would just move away if they were being hounded by a protection racket."

"Mm."

Worrying his teeth on his lip, Suzuki changed direction seeing how his old teacher had no interest in talking about that. "You know, Sensei, you're the reason why I can stand being around Saeko-chan's jerk of a husband."

"I don't teach anymore, Suzuki-san. I would appreciate it if you used my surname," the response came out curtly.

"I don't believe that. Teachers teach for life, whether they're being paid for it or not."

A bitter chuckle rasped out of Kurosawa, and he waved the comment off as if it were ridiculous. "Don't give me credit for your friendship with the Oriyas. I haven't seen any of you in at least a decade." Without any noise of warning, the older man leaned forward suddenly, cradling his head in his hands.

"Are you sick?" Suzuki's voice went from playful to concerned in a heartbeat.

His teacher chuckled again as he pulled himself upright and smiled politely. "It's nothing for you to concern yourself over."

Suzuki frowned, worried. "Kurosawa-san, you've gotten really pale. Should I get someone for you?"

"It's the reaction to the medicine I'm on. I'll be fine soon." Kurosawa took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face before folding it down again and pocketing it into the front of his worn tux. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, a glass of water would do much to ease my stomach."

"Sure. I'll get some for you." Suzuki stood up to go look for a server, but when he came back with an icy cold glass in hand, only three vaguely-familiar female faces greeted him. "Ah, have you seen Kurosawa-san?"

The girls looked at each other and then the one closest to him, who sat on the other side of Kurosawa's chair shook her head. "No, Suzuki-san, we haven't."

Setting the water down, he noticed the name-tags then, sitting primly in front of each spot. His chest relaxed some. They had used the tag at his chair to cheat. He wondered if Kurosawa had as well, but tossed that idea since Suzuki hadn't even taken his seat next to him. Of course, there were other reasons why his teacher recognized him. One was that violet-blue eyes weren't very common. "Okay. Well, excuse me please."

He looked around the room, and quickly he picked out Saeko wearing a beautiful two-toned red kimono embroidered with birds and standing next to the stoic Terumi. Focusing inwardly and letting his eyes slide past people as he concentrated, he sensed the energies around him ebb and flow. One string, out of the many, called to his, and he moved past the crowding people and headed towards the bathroom.

It was barely ten minutes into the reception, and someone was sicking up in the stall. The bathroom attendant glanced towards Suzuki, where he had leaned against the wall opposite to the door. The attendant had prepared a hot, wet towel, placing it on a tray with tongs, and carried that tray to the only occupied stall as the toilet flushed.

"Do you require assistance, sir?"

The door swung inward and Kurosawa shakily headed towards the sink. As if he just remembered the question, he lightly shook his head at the attendant as he washed his hands and face. He checked his image in the mirror. The attendant offered the towel, which Kurosawa took to wipe down his face and the breath mint.

"Thank you," the voice was soft and worn as the man leaned against the marble vanity, his head hanging forward like some hungover drunk. Suzuki really wanted to know what was so wrong with him that he had to quit his job.

"Should I call the valet, sir?"

"I don't own a car. Thank you though." Pushing off the counter, Kurosawa stopped in his tracks when he saw Suzuki leaning patiently against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to sit down."

The bathroom attendant met Suzuki's eyes and shook his head as if to say 'I hope you don't believe that.'

"Do you need a ride home?" Suzuki asked suddenly, remembering what the Chief had cryptically told him a week ago, when she had hired him without giving him more than vague details of his client. "It's not a big deal to get a rental."

"No, I feel just a bit unwell. Please excuse me."

He held the bathroom door open as he watched Kurosawa go, recognizing that the man was under enough stress being around so many other people. With a grateful smile at the attendant who quirked his eyebrows respectfully in response, he pushed off the wall with his foot and followed the distinct call of Kurosawa's soul.

"Hello there. We're having an awfully warm indigo summer wouldn't you say?"

His lips transformed into a grin as the mysterious job unfurled like Suzuki suspected. Suzuki raised an eyebrow questioningly at the late middle-aged man, who was still a legend back at the Academy. It was another soul of Brother's late friends, not that Suzuki expected Mizuguchi Nobu to recognize him due to his rebirth. "Only because all this blue rain isn't cooling us off any." Suzuki offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mizuguchi-san."

"A pleasure to finally meet my replacement," the friendly voice groused out as he shook the hand that the much-younger man had offered. "Now, go rescue him before that table of energetic ladies overwhelms him, hm?"

"Certainly, sir." Suzuki grinned happily at him, knowing he'd have to ask Mizuguchi later how he managed to keep his soul-string so quiet when it was strong.

He found his client standing only four paces away from their assigned table, barely glancing towards the delicious-smelling appetizers that had been laid out and responding perfunctorily towards his previous students' concerns.

After being so sick, Kurosawa probably was nauseous at the sight coupled with the wafting aroma, Suzuki thought. It was strange to think that a particularly strong psychic like Kurosawa didn't know how to escape the ladies' eyes without a fuss being made of it. It was the only reason that Suzuki could think as to why his client was still standing there.

Clearing his mind of idle thought and grounding his energy, Suzuki clapped his hand onto Kurosawa's bony shoulder. "I think you should go congratulate Saeko and Terumi and then say goodbye, Sensei."

The shoulder relaxed incrementally under his touch, and then the man relented, allowing himself to be steered towards the newlyweds who mingled with a much smaller group. A server was nearby attending Suzuki's best friends with finger-food while they chatted to others.

When Saeko came into view wearing a new, very flattering dark green kimono with peacock designs embroidered on it, Suzuki dropped his hand and stepped next to her. "Saeko-chan, you look beautiful!"

Excusing herself from the conversation that her husband continued with an older couple, she took his hands and giggled. She blushed when Kurosawa harrumphed at Suzuki and then Saeko responded to Terumi's best man, "Suzuki-senpai, you shouldn't call me that. It's not proper."

"Oh, please. Is Terumi-kun jealous that I can steal you away even on your wedding day?"

Saeko's pale cheeks with spots of red suddenly grew rosier as her husband moved in brashly and wrapped a possessive arm around his wife. "Suzuki-san, if she was going to marry you, I wouldn't be standing where I am," the taller man scowled at his friend and looked down his nose at him.

Finding the perfect pause to derail the two from butting heads, Saeko turned her head to smile broadly at the thin man next to him. "Kurosawa-sensei! It's so good to see you. We're happy you could come!"

Suzuki turned to see Kurosawa bow stiffly. His eyes looked past her as he had done with Suzuki, and knowing what he was now Suzuki was aware it was a polite habit to prevent Kurosawa from accidentally reading into people's most private thoughts. "Thank you," the older man murmured, "Congratulations to the both of you. May you have many children."

The heir to the Oriya fortune and various properties, including the secretive Kokakuro Inn, quirked a light smile. "Hah! Her mother said the same blessing. We intend to have as many as Saeko wants." He looked down lovingly at her as she gazed up at him.

Suzuki about gagged. "Oh, please. Kiss again if you want to so badly. Don't make such needy faces at each other!"

"Says the exhibitionist," Terumi quipped.

"Hey! That was years ago!" Suzuki flushed in embarrassment while his jerk of a friend laughed hard at the memory.

Saeko suddenly frowned looking past Suzuki. "Kurosawa-sensei?"

Attention back on their old preschool teacher, it was apparent his smile was wan at best, but Suzuki didn't think either of his friends knew just how strained it was. "Please, just my surname. I've retired already."

Saeko's expression changed to concern. "So early? Did something happen?"

"I decided it was best, especially since the school was struggling financially."

Stopping himself from blurting out his own theories, like, say danger of extortion or threats to his life and those around him, Suzuki frowned at Kurosawa who looked past them all. He could have been a little more honest about it than that, especially since Terumi could do something about it. Through Brother's memories, Suzuki knew about the political power his best friend was capable of wielding because of Kokakuro Inn.

"They lost the best damn preschool teacher they had. If you've retired already, then we may ask after you at a later date about tutelage fees," Terumi stated gruffly, and then glanced at Suzuki's concerned face. "What's with you? You look worried."

Before Suzuki could answer, there was a wooden tap against a metal alloy wheel to get their attention. "There's not a thing going on that I don't hear." Speaking with an even tone, Oriya Elder looked sternly from his wheelchair at Kurosawa, who looked back unflinchingly. "You should have stayed home if your health wasn't good, Kurosawa-san."

"And miss my former students' wedding? No, I couldn't do that. Thank you for your concern, Oriya-san."

The Elder hmphed, and Suzuki had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Terumi's dad was about to go into a lecture. "You're thirty-seven, no spring chicken. I am honored that you could attend my son's wedding. However, as of now, I am hiring Suzuki-san to escort you safely home. By the way thank you for coming, Suzuki-san. Now," the cane tapped against his wheelchair again, "Be on your way."

"I don't need-"

"Oh, I'll do it free of charge, Oriya-sama." Hell, he could take the extra money, getting paid double for the same job since he was already being paid by the SIPC to watch over this stubborn man… but taking advantage wasn't his style.

Besides, this gave him the perfect opportunity to follow Kurosawa out with Mizuguchi without looking too suspicious. The old coot probably knew all about Kurosawa's connection with the police and then some and was helping Suzuki with a cover.

"I'm perfectly fine—" His old teacher tried to insist.

"Thank you for coming, Kurosawa-sensei. Have a safe trip home," Saeko said politely to the tall man though in doing so she had interrupted his own polite refusal, while Suzuki suppressed another snicker. She turned her warm brown eyes on her best friend. "You take care as well."

"Of course," Suzuki said easily. "Thank you for inviting me."

Temuri grinned, following his dad's lead. "Yeah, old man. Get your butt out of here. If I hear you've been hospitalized over this, I'm footing the bill. Suzuki-kun, take care of him or else."

Suzuki gave a dangerous smile to the larger, fierce-looking man in his prime. "Hey, I didn't spend years training for nothing. Have a little faith, would you?"

A loud snort was Terumi's answer, though Saeko lightly elbowed him in the side for being rude. Terumi didn't believe in gods or magic, considering both to be nonsense.

Thin lips set into a flat line, the light wrinkle between Kurosawa's eyebrows furrowed deeply. "I suppose I'll take my leave. Goodbye, goodbye." He bowed lightly to them all, before turning and walking away at a breakneck speed towards the check-in table, like he had something very urgent to do right then. Since the appetizers began, there weren't very many people standing around to block Suzuki's view of the broad shoulders.

Perhaps he had felt embarrassed when they had ganged up on him like that.

Suzuki waved goodbye over his shoulder to the others and caught up with the weaving Kurosawa, who'd begun to walk drunkenly. Finding his inner peace as the training on sensitives had instructed, Suzuki caught those broad shoulders with both hands and pulled back before the older man lost his balance. "Easy now, Sensei."

He felt bad that he'd embarrass Kurosawa enough to push himself too hard. With his hands pressed against Kurosawa's shoulders, he was reminded again how little flesh he felt under his fingers. The older man wasn't simply skinny; whatever ailed him was robbing him of a healthy weight.

The blank look on Kurosawa's sweaty face had fled, and now he showed terrible vulnerability as he caught the breath that his stubborn pride had robbed from him when he had walked so quickly away.

Suzuki's heart squeezed in his chest just then as old, old memories flooded into his brain, causing a blip in his zen state that had the older man tearing out of his loose grip to get away from.

"I have a ride home. Your services are unneeded." His expression was fettered once again, unreadable, but he didn't move away immediately as he gazed at Suzuki's ear.

"You can say that all you want, Sensei, but it doesn't change anything." Suzuki smothered the envy at the very thorough inspection his ear was getting. "Don't be stubborn."

Kurosawa gave a short, unhappy snort. Suzuki raised an eyebrow, but the other man only looked away.

Someone cleared their throat. It was Kurosawa's current Ying-Yang Master whose main job was to protect the sensitive.

"Ah, Mizuguchi-san, you have the car parked out front already? Thank you." Kurosawa attempted a smile but it faltered a half-second too fast. "As you can see Suzuki-san, I already have someone who can assist me."

Suzuki wondered what the hell he was doing wrong. Despite the harmonizing call of Kurosawa's lonely soul, he felt utterly dismissed, and it kind of pissed him off that he was being treated like a child. Brother's memories reminded him of a similar situation in reverse positions, so he stayed still before he stuck his foot in his mouth. Now wasn't the time to declare a promise Kurosawa wasn't yet ready to hear.

"Kurosawa-san, I've already offered him a ride to Kobe City," Mizuguchi stated evenly, shifting the small bag slung over his shoulder to his other.

Sighing heavily, Suzuki's super-reluctant client rubbed his forehead with a hand and then his closed eyes with the tips of his fingers. "Alright. Let's go."

Outside, it was much brighter and warmer. Suzuki's trained eyes noticed the movement of some guards standing watch, and his extra-sensory perception casually pricked up at the thick layer of protection spells and barriers surrounding the building that he'd passed through to get inside.

Kurosawa slowly and carefully took the steps down towards where their car awaited, his head held high.

"Is he always like this?" Suzuki whispered to the other, as those staticky past-life memories trickled by of a much, much younger form with blonder hair and a cherubic face, his head held up proudly.

"No," Mizuguchi murmured, "you must set him on edge. You share a past with each other?" The stormy gray eyes assessed the fellow Onmyouji calmly.

"Kind of...? He taught me in preschool for almost a year." Suzuki, of course, didn't mention that his previous incarnation had shared a lifetime with Kurosawa. They had been work partners for some agency to help lost or trapped souls and to exorcise places, the typical repertoire of any Onmyouji worth their salt.

The memories weren't his, of course, but being around Kurosawa's soul vibration triggered Brother's memories, fragments of a time decades and decades ago. Suzuki had had considerable training and counseling to keep himself separate from that past life in order for his Touda-scarred soul to escape the cycle of rebirth it seemed hell-bent on reliving, chained to this plane with guilt.

As it was, his two best friends were reincarnations of coworkers too as were his older twin sisters. It didn't surprise him since it was a part of Buddhist mysticism that unenlightened souls unconsciously recognized each other and conglomerated together because of their forgotten past life attachments.

It was why his Mentor hadn't been alarmed when his precocious, young protégé had discovered the people he wanted to surround himself with were those his past incarnation remembered.

However, in spite of the deliberate separation between 'Tsuzuki's' memories and his own, Suzuki never resisted the yearning he'd held for the preschool teacher a generation apart from him. Their souls, for lack of a better term, matched. Brother had long ago likened it to being wrapped together with a loom of red thread, an inescapable fate for them.

Pushing the heavy bag into Suzuki's startled arms, Mizuguchi hm-ed to himself when the younger onmyouji had stood there. Without further comment Mizuguchi headed down the stairs to help Kurosawa.

Envious, Suzuki gripped the bag while he watched Kurosawa accept the help and lean against the offered shoulder without shrugging off the stabilizing arm. Breaking off his stare, Suzuki looked down from his vantage point to see their method of transport.

An old-model Toyota sports car was idling as it waited for them in the valet half-circle. Taking the steps down two at a time, Suzuki opened the passenger door for them. Mizuguchi helped Kurosawa into the car and shut the door, while Suzuki walked to the other side of the vehicle with the bodyguard who'd sent in the request for a replacement so he could retire.

"Go ahead and drive. I'm ready for a nap." With a rough jerk, the front seat slammed forward. Folding himself up to fit into the two-door vehicle, Mizuguchi sat in the backseat wearily.

Pushing the front seat back, Suzuki looked inside the car. Kurosawa had just buckled himself in and angled the chair backwards, but was already slumped into the comfortable bucket seat. With his eyes shut, he looked half-dead. Suzuki swallowed, pushing away the complicated feelings his attachment to an obviously ill man brought him and slipped into the car.

Shutting the door firmly, his eyes scanned over the dated instrumentation in front of him. Suzuki realized that the Chief had made him learn a stick-shift drive for precisely this purpose. He ran his hands over the steering wheel that was actually attached through a series of connections to the wheels underneath. This car was way older than him, yet was still in such beautiful shape.

Suzuki shifted the gears and the engine moved the car forward. He turned the steering wheel, the wheels firmly reacting under his hands. He was a bit giddy as he turned onto the road that would take him out of Kyoto back to Kobe City.

He turned on the satellite radio as he sensed that Mizuguchi had gone into a meditative trance. It was already on classical music. Shamisen were dueling in a nearly meditative rhythm as a fue sauntered playfully at the edges, dipping in and out. The shamisen quieted as the koto came to the foreground and the shaku clapped at just the right moments. Using the music, he cleared his mind as he focused on the road in front of him.

About ten minutes into the drive, Kurosawa stirred.

"Is the music bothering you?" Suzuki turned it down from a quiet volume to a whisper.

"No."

Wondering what had woken him up, Suzuki glanced at him before pulling his eyes back to the road.

Kurosawa was staring at the sky out the tinted window of the door to his left. "My assistant says you asked him for a ride, but that isn't true is it?" He shifted. "You're my new bodyguard."

"Right." So the Chief had been as forward about who would be replacing Mizuguchi to Kurosawa as she had been to Suzuki about who he would be protecting. The one who seemed to be in the know was the grizzly Ying-Yang Master behind him. It was well known that the Chief did these vague sort of assignments to keep everyone on their toes for the unexpected.

Kurosawa didn't say anything for the longest time. Suzuki was used to the snipes at his age or his inexperience, but he wasn't sure what to do about the silence, so he listened to the music awaiting the response.

"You must be very good at your job to get this position," Kurosawa carefully admitted.

"I have a natural talent for it." Suzuki's pride bloomed under the praise.

"Mmhm."

The frequency of Kurosawa's vibrating string dropped several octaves at that. Anybody else would have thought he'd fallen asleep after answering, but Suzuki almost slammed on the brakes.

Mizuguchi had already snapped out of his meditation and was checking Kurosawa's pulse.

Suzuki felt panic tighten his throat as he looked at the waxy complexion of his client. "Is he okay?"

"Keep your eyes on the road, boy, before you kill us with your reckless driving. His breathing and pulse are weak, but he's still with us."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Doctors and our alternative specialists don't really know. They have him on migraine and seizure medication, but neither seems to be helping any. These attacks have gotten worse since they started two months ago. It doesn't help that he's also dealing with liver cancer that's not responding to the anti-cancer drugs."

That never happened. If it was cancer, the anti-cancer drugs always worked. The atmosphere in the cramped car was intense as they both went quiet, feeling out that energy that grew much fainter.

Kurosawa was dying whatever the cause, even while Suzuki's heart screamed in denial.

Then Kurosawa made a gasping noise, jerking, as his energy string vibrated back to its normal high frequency. "Mizuguchi-san...?" He slurred.

"You gave us a scare, kid," the old man, his energy grounded and centered, brushed the bangs out of Kurosawa's sweaty face. "You gotta stop doing that."

"Okay." The sick man took another deep breath. "How far away are we before we get home?"

"An hour," Suzuki answered quietly still trying to deal with the fringes of his panic. "Get some sleep, Sensei. We'll wake you when we get there."

The silence inside the cabin was filled by the sound of the near-silent music playing and the low hum of the car's engine as they hurtled onward to Kobe City.


	2. Led on a Merry Chase

_**Authoresses' notes**:__ Hello! This was co-authored with **EggDropSoup**. _

**Warning: **If you have not read **Shadows of Our Past: Part One,** you may be confused about who the original YnM characters reincarnated into and why their ages are so variable. We highly recommend you read the Part One first.

* * *

Turning off the busy main road onto one that wound its way up into the northeastern range of the Rokko Mountains, Suzuki glanced again at Kurosawa who was still fast asleep. Once they passed many plots of farmland, there was a sign declaring that they had entered government-protected Setonaikai National Park.

Amongst all the nature, there were hardly any man-made features to be found alongside the twisting roads and signage along the path to Mt. Rokko. As they gained elevation, the occasional farmland became rarer, and despite the long vista of trees and scenic views Suzuki was very focused on his task.

A few minutes later, Mizuguchi pointed out a hard-to-see road. "Turn there."

Pine trees shot up on both sides of the sleek car as Suzuki maneuvered the car up the steep, unpaved road, shifting down so the engine didn't have to work too hard. His body bounced with the car as it made its way on the bumpy road. Before much longer, the road split off and Suzuki took the more level one. About a hundred meters in, there was a sharp turn he had to make before the space opened up. The view was cleared of encroaching forest that seemed poised to swallow it up again.

They had passed into a massive cloaking dome when they turned into the clearing, so Suzuki only then sensed rather powerful spells. Now, he looked past the glittering spells littering the place with protection surrounding the building. It might have been an inn for hikers or other tourists when it was first built, but now it looked rundown.

Parking, Suzuki looked over to Kurosawa, who had sat up shrugging his shoulder and rubbing his neck again.

Mizuguchi tapped the distracted young man on the arm. "I'm not getting any younger sitting here."

Letting out a small chuckle, Suzuki opened the door, getting out, and pulled the switch to send the seat forward. Mizuguchi's joints crackled loudly as he slipped out of the car. Mizuguchi pressed a button, and the trunk popped open in front of Suzuki, while Kurosawa slowly disembarked himself.

As Suzuki watched, the sun brightened the blond and silver strands in Kurosawa's hair as he took in a deep breath of the woodsy mountain air, relaxing.

"Quit gawking, boy," the rough voice muttered at Suzuki. "If you looked at the guidelines at all, then you'd know not to stare." The living legend grabbed the bag, shoved it into the younger man's arms, and slammed the trunk shut.

It broke the effect being around Kurosawa's soul vibration had on Suzuki. He hugged the bag to his chest as Mizuguchi offered a shoulder for Kurosawa again. Because of Brother's memories, Suzuki was aware that a decade of partnership led to that kind of trust, so he was able to smother his envy at the sight of them.

He'd waited most of his life for a chance like this so—Suddenly looking back over his shoulders at the line of forest and underbrush, Suzuki saw nothing though he heard a distinctive string of a human soul hiding over there. He waited for whoever it was to emerge from the bushes or to make their presence known, but when that didn't happen he carried the bag into the inn, frowning.

In a large, open-space room, within sight of the rock-slab foyer, Kurosawa was already tucked into a recliner with a blanket across his lap. A mug of steaming tea sat in his cupped hands that were laid on his knees.

Clucking at Suzuki, Mizuguchi appeared and took the bag out of his hands. "He's stressed enough without you to add to it."

Suzuki reluctantly looked away, gazing at ink drawings of lilies on yellowed paper, framed and spaced out evenly on the wall. "There's someone hiding out in the front."

"I am aware." The middle-aged man headed out the room causing Suzuki to back up into the general foyer area. "We've been leaving food out for her. She sometimes sleeps in the bathing house." Mizuguchi unloaded the multitude of pill bottles from the bag and set them in a line on the counter along the wall.

Sending the old man a strange look, Suzuki scratched his head puzzled. "What is she, a stray?"

"A runaway. Kurosawa said that her parents didn't like that she came out bisexual and shuttled her off to some unscrupulous relatives. If you want some tea, there's hot water in the tea kettle, leaves in that container, and mugs in the cabinet next to the sink." Opening a closet, Mizuguchi set the bag inside and closed it.

"Sugar?" Suzuki brightened at the thought of delicious sweet tea.

"All out. I haven't made a grocery run. Before you go anywhere, you need to read this." Mizuguchi held out a very worn pamphlet. It looked practically ancient, without even a plug-in to change its display of information.

Suzuki took it, glancing over the guidelines. "But I already read this."

"Then do your job. You're here to protect him, not make eyes at him." Mizuguchi stated gruffly and then handed a newer glossy sheet to Suzuki.

Curious to know what it contained, Suzuki squeezed the corner of it and black text appeared like an elaborate stain on the gray surface, listing off everyday foodstuffs.

"Purchase what's on that list."

Suzuki blinked and looked up. "What, right now?"

"No, when we're eating tree bark soup," came the brutal sarcasm. "While you're at it, fill up the hydrogen tank before you turn it into Kiko's Rental. That car has GPS, so just ask it where to go. You'll need to pick up my car in the parking garage across from the rental before you can go shopping. The ticket stub and money are in this." Shoving a thin wallet into Suzuki's hand, the older man shepherded him out of the kitchen towards the front door. "It takes about two hours to get all that done and then get back. Got that?"

"Uh... Yeah."

"See you, kid. Don't call me if you get into trouble."

"Oh!" Suzuki pulled his business card out of his pocket. "I don't know if the office gave you my contact information, but here it is."

Mizuguchi took it, looking at it balefully before tucking it into his back pocket. "Sure, kid."

Back outside, Suzuki tried not to feel disappointed. He'd hoped he could have stayed to spend time with Kurosawa. Resolved, he opened the wallet and found a scrap of paper with a time and date on it and a flexi-card with no name or other info on it. It probably held plain cash, which meant anyone and their mother could use it. Pocketing that, he jangled the keys in his pocket, pausing only briefly when he saw someone already in the car.

He opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat, placing the sturdy grocery list in a crack between the seats. "Do you normally come along or something?"

The long-haired teen with very light brown eyes and bleached hair smiled shyly and shook her head, very calm in the passenger bucket seat. In a few short moments and with the help of Brother's memories, Suzuki recognized her as yet another reincarnated coworker.

"I would like to go into town." In her dainty hands was one very sturdy looking Palmie. Suzuki could tell she had to be young to be so flat-chested and decided flirting was a definite no-no.

Suzuki turned the car on and cranked the wheel hard to face it towards the only exit, glancing at the GPS. "Um, Start Listening."

"I'm listenin'," the GPS sounded bored. Its voice had a very southwestern drawl.

"Find a hydrogen fill station near Kiko's Rental."

"Find me a major highway, bub, before you start shooting off that mouth. This here area's unlisted," the GPS quipped.

"Ookay, pardner," Suzuki drawled back.

"What, punk? I dare you to say it again," it replied.

The teen let out a laugh and lifted her Palmie, keying something in.

"Let me know if you need me again, bub," the GPS drawled, signing off.

Then, the car's radio came to life and flipped to a techno-pop station.

"You hacked the car?" Suzuki asked incredulously.

"I can access anything electronic that's got a wireless connection."

"In a car this old?"

"It has BlueTooth."

"What's—no, never mind." Suzuki put the car in gear and headed down the mountain. Once he reached a painted double-laned highway, the GPS suddenly came sputtering to life sounding as crass and affronted as it had before, and then it begrudgingly led the way to a hydrogen fill station.

When Suzuki chanced a look at his passenger, she gave him a small smile.

After pulling into the fill station, he saw the usual stuff lurking about, mainly harmless youkai and other spirits as he swiped the card and filled up the tank. A particularly bold fox spirit hopped onto the hood and stared inside the car through the windshield. With a hiss, Suzuki muttered a spell and sent the rascal scurrying. Hooking the dispenser back in place, he screwed on the inner lid and shut the outer lid. Slipping back into the car, he re-buckled his belt and turned the car on again.

"You scared it off." The teen tilted her head at him curiously.

Kiko's Rental was only three blocks south of there. He could spare a few minutes talking to her. "The fox, right?"

"Yes," She answered very quietly and looked back down at her Palmie, keying quickly.

Figuring the brief exchange over, he drove the short distance to the rental place. He turned in the keys without fuss, signed some paperwork, and handed the cash card over for the returned down payment. Placing the card back into the wallet, he waved goodbye to the man whose name was Jun, not Kiko, and met the teen outside who was absorbed in her Palmie. He wondered if she had a wireless addiction. "Hey, so what's your name anyway?"

"Kuwano."

"I'm Suzuki. We're headed across the street, so stay close to me."

She didn't answer but had been listening because she walked next to him across the street. They took an elevator to the second level, and before long they stood in front of an absolute clunker. Suzuki looked down at the ticket stub and then back up again at the wall where the same number displayed itself.

With a mournful sigh, he unlocked the door manually and slid in. If he thought the rented car was old, this was practically ancient. He turned it on and it purred to life. There were no automatic lights, locks, or windows. Luckily a quick look at the dash told him that whatever the thing ran on, it had a full tank. He fed the parking meter the plasti-stub and the cash card, and it spat it back at him with a mechanical 'thank you!' before opening the gate.

Pulling out onto the road, he realized that he had no idea where the nearest store was. He hadn't seen one on his trip into town. Looking over to Kuwano, he swallowed his pride. "Hey, could you look up a grocery store? If you need to know what we need, there's a flexi stuffed between the chairs."

She grabbed the list and pushed the thin port of it to her Palmie. The words floated down towards the port, before returning to their original positions. "We're near one, now. Turn left and go five blocks, then turn right. You should see it then."

It was a rare Mom and Pop store. The front looked newly painted though, so Suzuki headed inside with the flexi and picked up a shopping basket on his way in, Kuwano tagging along. He easily found everything on the list though it filled two baskets instead of just one and again paid with the cash card.

A teenage boy about Kuwano's age helped carry the bags out. He shyly grinned at her, and she winked at him when she finally noticed his attention. The teen hurried back inside flustered, while Kuwano settled into the car with Suzuki not far behind.

In relative silence, they drove back to the mountains. As he turned onto the hidden gravel road, the girl glanced towards him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"They're already gone."

"Who? Sensei and Mizuguchi? They would have called me to update their location if this place was no longer safe. That's standard protocol." He pulled the car into the clearing.

"Can't you tell they're not on this mountain anymore?"

"Hell!" Kuwano was right. Suzuki didn't feel either of their string's vibrations. He expanded his senses. "They're not even in this area!"

"Calm down," the teen said without batting an eye. "Mizuguchi did this with the five other replacements before you."

"So, this is a test?"

"Yes. This won't be the only one either."

"Give me a minute." Suzuki's mind was racing and he needed to settle it before he could pinpoint the direction those two had gone. Closing his eyes, he grounded and centered, reaching out to the soul vibration he knew so well. It called back faintly. It was also somehow warped. Likely those two were traveling at a fast speed away from him.

He opened his eyes and glanced at Kuwano. "They must be on a plane southwest of here," he grumbled.

"Out of country?"

He nodded, slamming a fist on the steering wheel in frustration. What the hell was this 'test' about? At least he'd gotten his passport a week ago or he'd be a sitting duck!

Stepping out of the car, she stood by the back end of it. "Well, I guess you'll need to go catch them. I'll put away the food so it doesn't go bad."

He nodded, pulling the lever for the trunk to open. He heard her lift the bags as he flipped open his cheaper Palmie.

Hands slightly shaky, he hit speed-dial 3. "Sis... Hey, yeah... I got a favor to ask. I need a ticket to Jakarta, Indonesia."

"Hello to you too, Bro. Are you on the run or something?" His eldest sister, Yumiko, teased.

Suzuki sighed heavily, letting her voice calm him. "No, my job's requiring me to travel without expenses paid right now. Send me the ticket would you?"

"Sure, sure. You'll owe me later for it."

"Yeah, okay. Talk to you later. Thanks, Sis!" The trunk was slammed shut, and Suzuki looked back and saw Kuwano flash him a thumbs-up.

"Don't thank me. You've saved Yumi and I a lot of hassle at our company, Bro. It's the least we could do. Just do us a favor and take care of yourself! Mom and Dad wouldn't want you in the hospital again," she chided.

Suzuki winced. "Okay, okay. I promise. Bye!"

"Bye," the phone disconnected in his ear, and he waited impatiently, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

Not long after, he received a message on his phone that he had a first-class ticket to his destination and that it was leaving in two hours. It included directions and a v-map to the airport, which Suzuki immediately accessed to study.

Without bothering to pack for the trip, he drove back down the mountain. He'd made good time when he pulled into the nearby airport and parked. Speedily, he checked into his flight and made it through the security right when the plane began to board.

It was an aisle seat but he didn't really care. There was plenty of leg room, and the seat was very comfortable. He tapped his finger agitatedly on the arm rest and waved off the airline attendants. The window seat beside him was taken by a businessman reading a newspaper, who largely ignored him.

Not long after, the plane took off.

There was some unpleasant chittering above him.

Suzuki looked up at the spacious ceiling where a baku, a demon that ate dreams, laid in a hammock made of supernatural material. The tiny, but otherwise very-human looking creature smiled down at him.

"If you mess with anybody on this flight, you're toast," Suzuki muttered under his breath as he leaned forward to pick up the magazine flexi out of the holder attached to his seat on the right side.

It laughed. "You've certainly become a rare breed in this day and age. I haven't seen your ilk in fifty years."

Ignoring the baku, Suzuki leaned back and turned the flexi on by depressing the corner. The cover lit up with a vibrant picture with headlines all over it. He flipped it open and swished his hand across the only two pages of the flexi-book to 'turn' to the next set of pages, not really reading it.

"Come now, Onmyouji. You threaten me away from my bread and butter and expect me to lay here bored through the whole trip? You're no fun."

The whole trip was two hours long, and if anyone saw him talking to nothing they'd think he was deranged. So, continuing to ignore the chatter of the baku, he put the magazine away and leaned into the cushiony chair.

Shutting his eyes, he felt how much closer to Kurosawa he was getting. He could feel it from his own soul's response, and yet his actions felt so alien. Suzuki had promised himself he wouldn't chase after that soul that for ages had called for him. And over time, he had noticed how the call had softened over time, less demanding perhaps, but still yearning.

"Onmyouji," the baku's moist breath tickled his nose and Suzuki opened his eyes to look at the baku hanging down right in front of him.

Blinking at him, Suzuki looked unamused.

"You smell like you've been around a nasty demon. Is it perhaps one that even you cannot locate with your heightened senses?" With a smile, the baku swung back up. "I'll tell you what. I'll tell you which demon I smell in exchange for an Onmyouji's dream. What do you say?"

"Tell me, and you can have your pick of nightmares," Suzuki murmured oh-so-quietly.

"A dream's a dream, good or bad especially coming from a powerful one like you." The baku licked its lips. "I smell a foreign demon, one that a witch doctor of Nigeria would be more familiar with, a mai-gangaddi. It lives inside a man and preys on his chakra, sending him into strange trances. It's not a very smart demon because it's easy to trick, but it can be deadly all the same since he's practically undetectable to humans."

Suzuki smiled. "Ah, so that's what it is." He closed his eyes and made himself relax as he felt the baku hover over him. Then a cool finger lightly touched his third-eye, and Suzuki was brought to the fires of Kyoto and the summoning of Touda.

_"Ah," the baku mused, "I've never eaten a dream with such hot fires before. So much desperation, Onmyouji, yet so much passion. Yes, this dream will do."_

Suzuki slept on, only waking once the plane had landed. He jerked awake, looking up at the ceiling where the baku looked down at him, his eyes bright. It dropped a metal whistle at his feet. "Should you need assistance again, just call. Remember that doing so comes with a price on my terms."

Casually picking it up, he pocketed it and stood, smoothing out the wrinkles on his slacks. He paused feeling for that soul vibration. Good, he had guessed correctly.

He left the plane and headed out after passing by security.

Now, to give those two hell when he found them.


	3. Finally Caught Up

_**Authoresses' notes**:__ Hello! This was co-authored with **EggDropSoup**._

_Thank you for all those who read Chapters 1 & 2! Hope it was enjoyable for you. We always love feedback._

There's a saying that all's fair in love and war, but it doesn't seem fair what Mizuguchi did does it? Being the newcomer hasn't been easy for Suzuki so far! Let's see what he does...

* * *

When Suzuki finally caught sight of them, those two were drinking tea on the beach not far from an Indonesian resort. A server had just left plates of a simple appetizer.

With a grim face, Suzuki briskly walked towards them, his trench coat flaring behind him when a breeze caught it. It was too hot this close to the equator. "What the hell was that?"

Kurosawa at least looked remorseful as he barely touched his appetizer and looked away when Suzuki stopped at their table under the heavy umbrella blocking them from the harsh sunlight. Mizuguchi apparently had no such guilt. "What was what, kid?"

"You left me there. Ran off to _here_. I was asking you what the hell that was about."

"Don't worry. You passed with flying colors. I have to say it's impressive that you caught up to us within four hours. Before that, the best time was 29 hours."

He swallowed the spit he really wanted to fling at the man's face. He no longer gave a damn if Mizuguchi was a living legend or not! He swallowed his anger down because what he had to say was important. "While you tried to send me on a wild goose chase, _I_ found out what's making Sensei sick."

"Where did you find the time if you were right on our tails?" His old teacher asked in bewilderment, cutting off Mizuguchi's next words

"I have my methods." Suzuki's face softened.

"None of the other specialists sensed a presence in him."

Suzuki looked at the soon-to-be _ex_-bodyguard. "But he's not responding to the medicine, is he? Let me do a focused exorcism and if nothing happens then I'm wrong."

"Why would you think I'd give you permission to try something risky with my client?"

Suzuki looked past a disgruntled Mizuguchi. "Sensei, you trust me, don't you?"

Kurosawa's soul vibration thrummed loudly in response, and Suzuki felt the pull of fate with his own. Kurosawa though kept his hands in his lap and his eyes directed past his shoulders. "I don't know." He looked down at his food. "But I'm willing to try anything at this point. I only have a month more to live."

His heart stopped in his chest. "When were you going to tell me that?"

"I didn't want you to worry about it since Mizuguchi-san..."

"Ran off with you?"

His old teacher's face heated at the implication of being more-than-friends with the rough old bodyguard. "Why does it bother you that Mizuguchi-san has my implicit trust?"

"Do you want me here or not?" Before Kurosawa could reply, Suzuki continued, "Because if you let him do any more of these 'tests', I am _done_. I'm very qualified for this job, and I don't need some old timer sticking it to me for shits and giggles."

Looking nervously towards Mizuguchi, Kurosawa brought a hand up to fumble with some silverware. "Of course, I want you here. He needs to retire."

Leaning forward to get eye level with him, Suzuki narrowed his eyes. "Then if he tries that stunt again, do not go with him."

Kurosawa nodded, keeping his eyes down and away. "Sure." Then he glanced at Mizuguchi. Suzuki saw the smile on that wily man's face and his old teacher stared back. After a moment, Kurosawa looked away without Suzuki knowing exactly what had been exchanged between them.

After checking the time, Mizuguchi wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. "New record for that one, too." He clucked.

"Is this some kind of _game_ for you?" Suzuki said through bared teeth.

"Yes. I have no desire to see my client picked off because of the incompetence of my successor."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. Your last assignment ruined your reputation, since she-"

Suzuki found himself on his back on hot sand, though he had a barrier charm up through reflex.

"She was my wife, you son of a bitch." The heat of the words through bared teeth matched the heat from the sun. "I was dead when the ambulance arrived. They brought me back with severe nerve damage and extreme memory loss." His eyes were unfocused as if trapped in terrible memory, but the fingers dug tightly into Suzuki's shoulders. "Our crazy boss assigned me to Kurosawa to protect him when I hardly remembered my own name. And I will never let the boss replace me with some smartmouthed, punk-ass little boy with a hard-on for someone I consider to be my son."

There was a metallic noise on the glass table, and they both looked over to see Kurosawa about to walk away from the impending fight.

"Sit down!" they barked as one.

Face unreadable, Kurosawa twisted in place and looked at them both, but did not return to his seat.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Suzuki bit out still pinned.

Kurosawa opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by Mizuguchi who tapped Suzuki's barrier. "Show some respect, kid." The old man then looked to Kurosawa as well, but said nothing.

"I'm going back to the hotel. You two can go ahead and beat each other to a pulp without me." He turned and continued on his way to the hotel.

"See, you've gone and pissed him off." Mizuguchi cracked the barrier open, and then a knuckle-sandwich came bursting through which Suzuki blocked with a quick jut of his arm.

"The hell is your deal, old man?"

"My boy wants me to retire, and he's obviously gotten attached or he wouldn't have agreed to follow your directions, but _I_ have to sign off before you become my successor. And there's some rules you _need_ to follow where he's concerned."

"Are you going to let me up or not?"

Voice brusque, Mizuguchi kept him pinned. "Rule #1: Keep your paws off of him, you horny bastard. Rule #2: After a bad case, he gets nightmares sometimes. 'Echoes', he calls them. Wake him up, but don't touch him. Rule #3: He picks up weakness like a bloodhound hunts, and he uses it to get his way, the little snot. Don't give in when you know it's not in his interest. Rule #4: For the love of Pete, stop calling him 'Sensei'. It's like twisting the knife in his gut because he misses those damn brats."

"Anything else?" Suzuki glanced towards the direction Kurosawa had gone. "He's getting away."

"Rule #5: If he gets away, don't panic. He knows enough to keep himself safe for a time."

"You taught him how to use charms?" Suzuki grinned up at him.

"He's a natural at it," he admitted reluctantly. "He's not very good at offensive spells, but ones of a defensive nature, he's a pro."

"He's a natural healer, too, isn't he?"

"Shh!" With a noise of complaint, Mizuguchi got up grabbing Suzuki by the front of the coat and hauling his ass up, and then he got into his face, whispering harshly, "Now, how the hell did you find that out?"

"You don't act like someone who's got nerve damage."

"If HQ knew that, they probably wouldn't let him walk as free as he does." Brushing his hands clean of sand, Mizuguchi narrowed his eyes at him. "The Chief said you were a natural too. She wouldn't let me look at your file, but I think you're one of those 'special' kids, who were born knowing magic. You've got this experienced look to your eyes."

"You could say that." And remembered how he had fared at the academy as a brand new student—Suzuki blinked when he noticed Mizuguchi was no longer in front of him. In fact, he was hauling butt down the beach after Kurosawa.

"Hey! Don't just ditch me after that! Geez, I thought we reached an understanding!" Suzuki took off running after him.

The old guy was already at the hotel's front doors before Suzuki had made it over the carefully manicured lawn and drop-off area. Cold air hit his face and hands when Suzuki entered the building. He caught up to the older, lumbering man in the cramped lobby shoving past. "Don't underestimate me!"

Suddenly Suzuki felt himself reeling towards the floor and slapped his arms down to try to break the inevitable fall. His legs had been bound with fuda, and Mizuguchi jogged past.

"Yeah, we've reached an understanding, kid! It's been fun. Haha!"

_He must still be testing me, or else he would have bound my arms up too. _Suzuki quickly tore through the seals and pulled three charms of his own from his pocket, jumping to his feet in pursuit. With a burst of speed, he caught a clear line of sight down the hallway to Mizuguchi and sent the glowing charms straight at the man, taking him down.

Mizuguchi was wriggling around like a worm. His arms, legs, and mouth were bound so he couldn't so easily break the seals. Jogging past, Suzuki grinned triumphantly as Mizuguchi glared. "Hope you had a nice trip, you old geezer!"

He depressed the elevator button and stepped on, pressing the second floor button once. He already knew exactly where Kurosawa was. "And don't worry. We won't wait up for you!" Mizuguchi was glaring at him after Suzuki said that, so Suzuki, to add insult to injury, winked as the elevator doors shut.

Once the elevator reached the second floor, Suzuki stepped out. Kurosawa's room was only a few doors down from the elevator, close to the fire escape. When he reached the door, he knocked on it softly.

The door opened, and Suzuki impulsively looked him over to gauge his mood. As usual, it was hard to judge Kurosawa's thoughts. "Hey, sorry about what happened earlier. I shouldn't have been so obnoxious, especially when you were out in the open like that."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time, since you had every right to be angry." Kurosawa glanced out the door, probably not sensing Mizuguchi. "Is Mizuguchi okay? You didn't hurt him badly, did you?"

"He's fine." Suzuki waved it off easily and came inside the room, giving Kurosawa a small, secretive smile. "He got caught up in something."

Kurosawa shut the door. "I think you tied him up." He crossed his arms.

Suzuki wasn't that interested in talking about Mizuguchi though. He was curiously bustled about the room.

"Hey, Kurosawa-san? May I borrow one of your socks?"

"Uh, okay? Go ahead. There's one on in the bag of laundry."

"Thank you," he responded in immaculate English. Suzuki bent over and picked up an old man's sock. Cross-hatching plaid was not a pattern that younger men bought. Opening drawers of the bed stands, Suzuki was looking for a standard-issue sign.

"What do you want the 'do not disturb' sign for? It won't be in those drawers. It's in a plastic sleeve on the back of the door."

"Oh, thanks." Suzuki grinned, stepping quickly to the door, and pulled it out. He unlocked the door and put the sign on the door before slipping the sock onto the door knob. He shut and locked the door again. "Sorry about that." At the puzzled look on Kurosawa's face, Suzuki chuckled. "It'll make sense in a bit. And, yes, to answer your question, I sealed him so he couldn't get here before me."

Kurosawa sat down in a chair near the curtained window. "I'm glad you didn't give up when Mizuguchi decided to test you so suddenly."

Blinking in surprise, Suzuki smiled. "Really? I thought you didn't like me. You were so stiff towards me before."

"It wasn't that." Kurosawa looked away.

So happy he was to hear that that it made him nervous, Suzuki ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't?"

"No..." Kurosawa thought for a long moment. "There's something about you that makes me relax." He looked at Suzuki with those piercing, dark green eyes. "It's easy being around you."

Positively feeling like he'd burst with happiness, Suzuki grinned sheepishly. "I'm glad... but, you know, Mizuguchi's not going to stop testing me. He's already made that clear in the hallway on our way back. If he does, you really don't have to go along with it, okay?"

A pained look overtook his expression and then Kurosawa looked down again. "He only does those things because of what happened with his wife."

Suzuki knew he'd only sound insincere if he'd agree, when he was more concerned about that strain he'd seen in Kurosawa's face. "Are you alright, Kurosawa-san?"

"Yes, it's not... the fits or anything." He methodically stretched out his left arm and opened and closed his fist.

"You're not having a heart attack, right?"

"No, it's nothing like that." At least he stopped fidgeting with his left hand.

"Maybe you're tired. It was really hot outside, and we're in a different time zone. Why don't you get some rest?"

Kurosawa's eyes were on him before he caught himself again and turned away. "Right. That could be it." He didn't get up and lay down.

Taking that as a sign that he could talk, Suzuki began, "So, Sensei... we never had time to catch up properly at the wedding or at the safe-house. I was really surprised to hear that you changed careers. I know how much you loved teaching."

"Ah, yeah." Kurosawa sighed unhappily and pressed a hand to his face. "I don't think I can stand being around you if you keep calling me that."

Suzuki pouted and then shrugged. "Okay, okay, I'll stop." He sat down in the chair next to him. "I just never expected that we'd be working together."

"I had extremely bad luck and needed a better paying job. Because SIPC had offered before, it wasn't any trouble getting set up."

Curious, Suzuki asked, "Bad luck?"

"It's not really that important." Kurosawa scratched his head. "I thought I could keep my teaching job and work at SIPC... but apparently the different syndicates hated how I was cracking open dead cases left and right. I started getting death threats and, since I didn't want to endanger the kids, I gave it up."

"That had to be hard on you, but what do you mean bad luck?"

"I had a feeling that I'd see you in this line of work."

Obviously, Kurosawa had no interest in answering his question. Suzuki would play along for now. "Really? You're not surprised that I'm not modeling for my sisters' clothes line?"

"Not even a little. You had a power that could only have been given by God. I knew you were meant to fight evil."

"Mm, well, I look forward to working with you from now on. Please take care of me." Suzuki smiled brightly and held out a hand for the other man to shake.

"Sure." Gazing at the ocean through the window, Kurosawa didn't offer a hand back.

Suzuki huffed and dropped his hand. "You're not even going to say 'We'll work well together'?"

Sighing in exasperation, Kurosawa held out a hand, and Suzuki clasped it. "It's a pleasure, Suzuki-san."

"Likewise."

Kurosawa looked up suddenly towards the door, which burst open and slammed against the wall, the key still in its handle. A furious look was upon Mizuguchi's face.

"Hey, geezer. I know you're getting senile and all, but you should still be able to read, " Suzuki said, referring to the sign he'd left on the door. The sock was on the floor of the hallway.

Mizuguchi wasn't out of breath but he looked frazzled, and now that he took a good look at both of them, a little less mad. He stalked towards Suzuki. "I thought you wouldn't have gotten so far with him in half an hour, you little rascal!" He reached out and nudged him hard in the shoulder.

"We wouldn't have left you behind, Mizuguchi-san." Kurosawa's cool voice cut through their bickering.

The living legend slanted a look at the dense Kurosawa. "Oh I wasn't worried about _that_. This guy is opportunistic, so I was worried about letting him around you alone."

"Mizuguchi-san. I don't do that, not on the first date. See?" Suzuki held up their still connected hands. "First, you hold hands."

Kurosawa flushed, finally getting the full sense what they were implying. It was so hard to read them when they were shielding. So, he pointed to the side. "Who's that out on the veranda?!"

Suzuki turned in the direction on high alert, and Kurosawa snatched his hand away with Suzuki distracted and crossed his arms. "Hmph. Things never change."

"There's no veranda in this room," Mizuguchi stated, half-laughing.

"Hey, now. That wasn't very nice." Suzuki pouted, not looking very discouraged.

"If you'd like to perform the exorcism, we should get it done as soon as possible, if Kurosawa-san feels he can do it." Mizuguchi looked at the tallest man in the room.

"Right now?" Kurosawa hesitated.

"No, as much as I'd like to I don't have all the materials I need since I was in a hurry to get here." Suzuki's face held a stubborn, neutral expression towards Mizuguchi. "Unless you packed a blank Alias, a pendulum, candles, and Level 5 barrier charms."

"I have all but the first on that list. How powerful do you need the Alias to be?" Mizuguchi asked.

"Indistinguishable from the real thing."

"I can make one in a day."

"Then, we can postpone the exorcism until tomorrow at noon."

"What's an Alias?" Kurosawa had listened to their cryptic conversation. In all the years he'd been around an expert Onmyouji, this was the first time he'd heard the term.

"Mm? It's an illusion of a living thing."

"I think this room is too small. I'll check if we can rent the conference room. Keep your hands to yourself." The living legend directed the warning tone towards his junior colleague and left the room.

"Is there anything I need to do?" Kurosawa asked politely.

"You'll want to wear comfortable clothes…" Suzuki looked at him thoughtfully. "Where's Mizuguchi's bag of goodies?"

"His work bag is there."

An innocuous black duffle bag was sitting on a chair against the wall adjoining the bathroom. Crooking his hand into a protective sign, Suzuki approached it and unzipped it.

Nothing happened, which made sense since Kurosawa wasn't the type to rifle through stuff he didn't know much about. Canceling the spells he sensed on a narrow wooden box, Suzuki opened it to find an excellent substitute for a pendulum.

A powerful seven-sided channeling crystal made of healing amethyst was connected to a chain of silver before terminating with a small polished ball of rose quartz. Pinching the pink crystal, he picked up the pointed quartz by the chain and it hung, beginning a slow spin.

"A pendulum?"

"Even better. It's a channeling crystal. Have a seat."

Kurosawa sat in the only other chair in the room.

"I need to practice putting you into a trance."

"Like hypnosis?"

"Similar, but the difference is that you won't be aware enough to respond. The type of exorcism I'll perform needs your spirit suppressed to be successful in drawing out the mai-gangaddi."

"The what?"

"It's a type of demon native to the western part of central Africa."

"… Africa…?" Kurosawa frowned.

"What's on your mind?"

"Before I got sick, I was going through my parents' things, seeing what I could give away. There were some African masks from Nigeria."

"They were probably used in a dance to rid someone of the mai-gangaddi. The shamans there use masks as Aliases." Suzuki cupped the chain with its big crystal, stopping its constant swinging. "Are you ready?"

Kurosawa nodded.

"Close your eyes and listen to my voice. The crystal will be hovering over your crown chakra so it may feel a little strange." Suzuki stood, and Kurosawa could definitely feel something hovering over his head, but he kept his eyes closed.

"Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Think of the ocean. Can you hear the waves rolling against each other as they break on the sand? Or the gulls chirping as they soar by?"

Kurosawa concentrated, but the imagery was hard to grasp onto. "Not really."

"Hmm. Okay. How about an open grassy field on a summer day? Can you see the sun rising higher and the wind sweeping through the long grass?"

Opening his eyes, Kurosawa glanced up to see the pointed crystal circling lazily above his head. "I don't think this is going to work."

"You've got to relax. Is it the focus choice that's the problem?"

"I suppose."

"It's no biggie. Relax. That's why we're practicing. Are you open to trying something else?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then, please close your eyes again." Suzuki thought about it a moment as the channeling circle swung over his old teacher's head. "This time I want you to recall a memory that is very precious to you that made you very happy."

Kurosawa's eyes fluttered as he relaxed.

"Good. You're doing well. Now, as your body is relaxing, your mind is becoming clear as well. Your worries are being pushed back. Allow that happiest moment to take over as you fall into a nice, deep sleep."

Kurosawa slumped forward against his knees.

"When I count to five, you will wake up. Until then, continue dreaming of those happy moments and fall deeper and deeper into a restful state."

Suzuki could sense Kurosawa's power signature grow fainter, which could become dangerous since the demon would want to jump ship before its vessel died. Before Kurosawa's energy became too suppressed, Suzuki counted, leading the older man slowly into a state of alertness.

Soon, he was blinking and rubbing his face as if he'd just woken up, and then tension sunk in like a heavy mantel.

Suzuki was sorry to see Kurosawa's relaxation flee so quickly. "That went well. We'll be ready for the exorcism tomorrow. What'd you want to do until then?"

"He would like to go sightseeing," a curt voice answered from the doorway.

"Yes, I would."

Mizuguchi easily crossed the room and held out a hand towards Suzuki. "Hand it over." Once the channeling crystal had been deposited into his hand, Mizuguchi placed it carefully into the box with murmured chants. "I got the room. It's all ours tomorrow."

Smiling, Suzuki offered Kurosawa a hand. "Shall we?"

Ignoring the hand, the older man pushed himself off the bed and left the room.

The living legend chortled. "He must find you too open."

"I think he likes me and doesn't want to cheat to learn about me."

Mizuguchi gave his protégé a flat stare. "Do you know how long it's been since the guy's been on a date?"

Tilting his head to the left, Suzuki was curious. "Years?"

"Not since he seriously accepted me as his bodyguard. There was a case that went sour. To get close to the source, he dated her. Unfortunately, she had been the very culprit he was hunting… Back then he was self-assured and extremely confident, often defying direct orders to crack cold cases quickly. I lost him on a regular basis."

"What happened?"

"He fell into a carefully woven trap. It took me three days to figure out where he was since he'd removed the tracking spell I placed on him." Mizuguchi took a deep breath. "A lot can happen in three days. He went in blazing and came out a different person."

"I'll protect him." Unflinchingly, Suzuki met the flat gaze. "I'll protect him and make sure nothing like that ever happens to him again."

"You can't make a blanket promise like that. There is always a bigger fish than you in this world."

"I know that." Suzuki knew how reckless Brother had been with promises, but he wasn't like that. "But this isn't just wishful thinking. I won't let someone hurt him. Even if it means that I have to sacrifice myself to make sure it happens."

Mizuguchi slapped him on the back. "That's more like it."

Suzuki gave a smile. "Well, I guess we should go after him now. Don't want him to sulk."

"I couldn't give a crap about whether he sulks or not." Raising his voice, Mizuguchi hollered, "Besides, he's hanging onto our every word in the hallway."

Suzuki stepped out into the hallway just in time to see Kurosawa as the elevator doors closed on him. "Huh. He's pretty sneaky."

"You're right about that. If you aren't careful he'll anticipate your every move and then that's when things can get creepy."

"Mm... I don't see it as creepy."

"Nothing against him, but when he gets in up here," Mizuguchi tapped his head, "and he compromises your job, it's creepy."

"Compromises? What do you mean?"

"Rule #3. He will try to have his way even by taking the choice out of your hands. Say you throw yourself into something to protect him…" The living legend held a hand up to stop Suzuki from interrupting. "He will try his damnedest to stop you. That's the real reason why the shielding is so damn important. You leave yourself open and he takes advantage of it." The harshness in his tone softened, "It was why I agreed to finally retire. He's a truly powerful psychic now, and he's terrified about my safety due to my age. Not a good combination if it's your duty to protect him."

"I'll be careful to anticipate that. Whatever the case or however a situation goes, his life is more valuable than mine. The chief made sure I understood that when she recruited me." Suzuki grimaced, "Don't worry. Even if I have to become disliked by him, I'll make sure he stays safe."

Exhaling, Mizuguchi clapped an arm around his shoulders, steering him down the hallway. "Let's go then."


End file.
